


It's the Journey

by Amitola12



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Body Exploration, Cotton Candy Fluff, Cute, F/F, First Time, Fluff, Getting Together, Human Catra (She-Ra), New Relationship, Roommates, Spicy Times Later, figuring it out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:27:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29989065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amitola12/pseuds/Amitola12
Summary: Roommates with Catra? Off campus in their own apartment? It was a dream come true for Adora. She'd kept a handle on her crush for ages, nothing she couldn't keep together even in a one bedroom with barely enough space for a full size mattress, let alone separate beds.Catra was so glad to be out of the dorms. A full sized kitchen, no one to telling them how to live... Even better that she'd get to spend every day with the dummy she was (secretly, of course) madly in love with.These two have a lot to figure out, but it's all about the journey along the way.Or: They're young, they're in love... and they have no idea what they're doing.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 108





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look, it's me posting another work that was supposed to be a one shot. Cue the laugh track! In 3...2...1...
> 
> Okay, y'all done roasting me? Have some fluffy cotton candy. You're welcome.

“Yeah, pretty sure I’ve got just the place for you and your… friend.” The ghost of a smile appeared on the older woman’s lips. “Might be a little cozy, but I’m guessing you two won’t mind.”

“Nope!” Adora said brightly, her chin perched on Catra’s shoulder as they looked over the pricing for the student apartments. Catra couldn’t help but turn her head towards the sound, her smile involuntary as she took in blue eyes all the brighter from excitement. Adora leaned her head down, just short of nuzzling, and sighed slightly. “Catra’s my best friend.”

The apartment owner chuckled, nodding towards a picture on her desk. It was of her and a smaller woman wrapped up in a hug on the beach. “I getcha, blondie, loud and clear. I’ve had my ‘best friend’ for going on twenty five years now, if you can believe it. Longer than you two have been alive, cripes.” She reflected a moment longer, gazing at the photo with such tenderness that it was honestly a little awkward. Realizing she’d been lost for several moments, she cleared her throat, all business again. “Anyway. You two kids wanna go view it?”

Cozy ended up being an understatement. It was a one bedroom with paper thin walls. The combined living room and dining room would barely hold what meager furniture they had cobbled together from estate sales and hand-me-downs. The kitchen was the size of a matchbox and the refrigerator so small that Catra almost stood taller than it. They were warned that the old radiator heating made the winters downright tropical but to definitely invest in at least one window AC unit if they had any chance of making it through the summers. But when they were told the monthly price, less than the price sheet they’d seen in her office just because the landlady “took a liking to you two kids”, Catra and Adora happily signed their names on the lease, with a move-in date less than a week away.

“I can’t believe Huntara knocked off as much as she did. Isn’t that a little unfair to the other renters?” Adora said, rolling out her shoulders after hefting in two boxes stacked on top of one another. They were all clothes, the only reason Catra had allowed the jock to show off in such a display. Even Adora couldn’t break a sweater. 

Catra shrugged, setting the box of books she’d get to reading one day, really, down in a corner. “It’s her business. And I’m not really complaining much, since it means we’ll probably get to eat more than once or twice a week.” She joked, observing how Adora’s shoulder muscles flexed as the woman stretched. She cleared her throat and looked away, trying to envision exactly where they might put a bookcase in this shoebox one day. “But yeah, that was pretty cool of her, I guess.”

The blonde reflected for a moment, idly watching Catra sort through odds and ends to make their new space livable. She was certain to make it more than just merely livable, with Catra’s touch and her presence, it would be home. Adora’s eyes softened, letting her thoughts drift as she continued with her break. She was drawn back to the gravely kindness of their landlady, so grateful for her fair pricing and that she hadn’t tried to persuade her and Catra to have separate bedrooms. The thought made Adora’s stomach bubble as much as it warmed her. She only hoped years down the line to be remarking about a picture of her and Catra with the same fondness Huntara had used about the picture on her desk. Her smile wavered for a moment, because perhaps not the  _ same _ fondness. Or maybe the exact same? Adora could never tell with those sorts of things. It seemed worth exploring what her best friend’s take on the situation was. “More than pretty cool, downright amazing! And goodness, she and that woman, best friends for twenty five years. Can you imagine…?”

Catra snorted, breaking down the now empty box, eying the stack of books that was just going to have to live against the wall for now. “Yeeeah. Best friends. Sure.”

“What do you mean?” Adora’s heart hammered at the dripping sarcasm in her friend’s tone. Did Catra suspect something? She kept her tone as even as possible, wanting to tread carefully as she traversed the edges of what could be quite a significant subject. She hefted the boxes back up to deliver them into their bedroom, Catra following along automatically behind her. 

“ _ C’mon _ , Adora. That obviously wasn’t just ‘gals being pals’. She was practically eye-fucking the picture of her wife, girlfriend, partner, whatever… right in front of us!”

“Oh.” Adora had to agree that the look Huntara had been giving the photo was rather… amorous. She nearly dropped the boxes in the doorway, but at least managed to deposit them onto the bed. Turned away from Catra so the brunette wouldn’t see her bright red cheeks, Adora worried at her lip, mind rushing. “Huh.”

Catra crossed over to her, beginning to unpack the top box, unfolding and refolding the articles of clothing contained within. She didn’t bother to sort them into piles for her and Adora- really by this point their wardrobes had intermingled so thoroughly that there was no point. Inside though? Catra was screaming. What divine being did she piss off to make her to be in love with someone so entirely oblivious on all fronts? If Adora didn’t twig on Huntara being tribe… Her tone came out flat, almost disinterested, distracting herself by making sure Adora’s favorite red jacket hadn’t wrinkled too bad in transit. “Yeah.”

Adora slowly began to pull out more clothes, doing a far lesser job than Catra at folding them nicely. She was eventually handed a stack of hangers and instructed to hang their apparel instead. From deep inside the closet, Adora called out. “Do you think she thinks we’re… Y’know.” A bold, bold question, only slightly hampered by the fact her confidence wavered at the end. Adora knew exactly where she stood on the Kinsey scale, fairly certain after years of watching the way Catra’s eyes followed Adora’s teammates after a game, practically salivating at how their sweat-drenched uniforms clung, that her best friend couldn’t be much higher than a three herself. But it wasn’t something they ever talked about, dating and crushes and stuff. To her knowledge Catra hadn’t ever been out with anyone and Adora never saw much point in it either, not with how strongly she felt for Catra. They had each other’s friendship and that was enough. 

Usually. 

Catra froze, glad Adora was still busy way deep in their closet. It wasn’t even a fucking metaphor at this point; the universe was just a sick bitch. Her clueless best friend was queerer than a three dollar bill, but Catra just couldn’t bring herself to tackle That One quite yet (well, actually she  _ really  _ wanted to tackle Adora but that was the issue, wasn’t it?). The blonde practically went comatose over brawny biceps and big hands- two things that despite her best good ol’ lesbo try in the weight room at the rec center, Catra couldn’t obtain. She wanted Adora to live as authentically as possible in her best life… But sue her for not wanting to get her heart obliviated during the process of the blonde finding herself. Adora didn’t want her, not like Catra wanted her, so they just neatly avoided the issue in favor of a killer friendship, which was enough. 

Usually. 

Catra considered pretending she hadn’t heard to spare herself, but someone else must have been in charge of her brain today because instead she found herself saying, “That we’re together?... Yeah. Probably.” Maybe the weathered floor beneath her would sigh its last breath before giving out entirely and Catra would get to crash three storeys down to her immediate death. What was life without a little hope?

“Oh.” Such a quiet syllable to speak such volumes. 

“I’m gonna… run these out to the dumpster and bring up the last of the boxes. You mind starting on the kitchen once you’re done in there?” Catra scurried out of the apartment before Adora could reply.

They really didn’t own that much stuff even between the two of them, but by the end of the day, they were both exhausted. Living on the top floor was at least going to help build some serious calf muscles from all those stairs. Adora flopped down on the bed, so happy that Catra had taken the time to throw some sheets on it. That was just like her best friend, thinking ahead enough to know at the end of a long day of moving just how nice a made bed would feel. She glanced around at the room slowly taking shape and saw her own mattress leaned up against the wall. It was only a twin, but there was no way it was going to fit along with Catra’s full sized bed.

From the other side of the room, which truly was only about a good seven steps away, Catra followed Adora’s gaze toward the propped mattress and shrugged. “We’ll have to figure out something about that.” 

“About what?” The blonde asked with a yawn. 

“Our beds.” The woman really had no right to look that cute, with her sleepy, heavy eyes and sprawled out on her tummy with one leg hanging off the side. She looked about thirty seconds away from passing out entirely. Catra just wanted to rub her back until she drifted off, run her hands through her silky, golden strands...

Adora sat up with a start, her exhaustion evaporating instantly. What did Catra mean by that? She blinked once, stole a quick towards Catra (nope, nope she’d changed to a crop top and shorts so short that it was  _ way _ too nice to look at), then back to her bed. The answer was obvious, right?

The blonde drew up her knees while hunkered down on the edge of the bed. She steadily ignored the festering anxiety that was undoubtedly wearing a quarter-sized ulcer in the lining of her stomach in favor of clinging to her desire to fall asleep every night to the soft breathing of her best friend. That draw was far more salient- complete agony as well, inches away but miles apart from where she truly wanted to be, but Adora could handle it. She’d been managing just fine so far. “I figured we’d be sharing one… Yours, since it’s bigger.” It was how Adora had pictured it ever since they signed the lease for a one bedroom apartment. Had they really gotten this far without discussing it with one another? 

Blame it on a long day of moving and her already wobbly willpower, but Catra nearly collapsed on the spot in her relief. The question still tumbled out, because she had to be absolutely certain they were on the same page. “You sure? I mean, I was thinking the same, but didn’t want to just assume…”

The blonde nodded, shrugging a little to cover her wild joy at the fact Catra had thought about this and had come to the same conclusion. Really, it was just a bed, a place to catch a few furtive hours of rest a night to be better at handling life and all its challenges the following day, but it also felt… substantive. They were cohabiting in a space outside the control of guardians or really any authority figures for the first time and could live however  _ they _ wanted. Autonomy could be paralyzing with its freedom.

Not wholly comforted by Adora’s quiet affirmation, Catra crossed her arms over her chest, frowning a little. “Because I could totally figure something out, maybe like… hang curtains up in the dining room somehow and make that space yours?” She was already dreading the aesthetics of how that would look, but it felt important to offer some other options for Adora’s comfort. “Or um, it might not be too late to talk to Huntara about a two bedroom…” Sure, move in day was the perfect time to ask to live somewhere else.

“No!” Adora’s voice cut in. The pair stared at one another in the light of her outburst. Cheeks blazing, she lowered her feet to the ground, leaning back on her hands, trying to affect some amount of chill after that total embarrassment. “I usually end up falling asleep here anyway. Wouldn’t wanna lose what little entertaining space we do have out there.” She was certain she’d have a scab on her lip by the morning from the way her front teeth kept nibbling into it. 

Catra gave a half-smile. “I really don’t think having our dumb friends over for pizza and beer counts as entertaining. Speaking of, you hungry?”

“Starving!” The blonde stood up from the bed, so happy that they were headed back to more stable, familiar territory. Gentle teasing and food. This was known and comfortable, just them at their best. 

“All right, I’ll whip us up some fine dining, a little preview of the formal dinner parties we’re going to throw here. Why don’t you bring my laptop in and find us a movie or something?”

The movie was pretty terrible, but the PB&Js were choice. Hands down, Catra made the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, obtaining the perfect ratio of creamy peanut butter and grape jelly in every bite. It was such a small thing, but Adora was so grateful for all Catra brought to her life, so much more than just the handcrafted gooey sweetness she was munching on. She continued to watch the film, irritated to no end by the couple who were  _ so _ obviously into each other, but too stupid to say anything. These two just seemed hellbent on making their lives more difficult by ignoring their natural draw. At least when Adora did it, she had  _ reason _ . 

Sort of. Maybe. Huh...

As they reached the romantic conclusion, the couple ending up in each other’s arms and macking on one another, Adora couldn’t stop herself from asking. “How do you think they met?”

“Who? Them?” Catra nodded to the screen and rolled her eyes. “I think we just wasted an hour and half of our lives finding out.” She nudged her friend on the shoulder. “If you fell asleep, you’re on your own with the rewatch. I lost enough brain cells on this trash for one lifetime.”

Adora shook her head, smiling faintly at the brush of contact. She wondered if she came off as brainless as the protagonists did when she looked at Catra. Maybe they hadn’t  _ talked _ about it, but it was obvious, right? Catra was just sparing her feelings with their silent pact to never discuss Adora’s utter infatuation with her. Life wasn’t always like a movie, the characters inevitably working it out in the end. But the movie wasn’t what she was referring to at all. She was far more interested in the real life love story that they’d been teased with last week. Especially since one of the women involved had seen herself in them somehow. It was all Adora could think about as she watched the mediocre movie, well, that and the distracting buzz that came from having Catra cuddled up against her side. “Nah, I mean Huntara and her partner or whatever.”

Catra blinked, shaking her head to clear it. She was used to Adora taking left turns without signaling, but this was a four lane change on the highway at rush hour while almost missing the exit. She decided it was easier to just strap in and go along for the ride. “Uhhh, I have no idea. Probably in one of the usual ways.”

“Like what?” As she pressed the subject, Adora pressed into herself, drawing her knees to her chest. 

“Jesus, Adora. You’re really fixated on this, aren’t you? I dunno. Bars, bookstores, a coffee shop? Maybe through mutual friends? Fuck, for all I know they grew up together.”

With great mindfulness to the precarious beating of her heart, not wanting to frighten the small, susceptible thing that fluttered in her chest, Adora whispered into her knees. “Like us?” 

Catra set her plate down on the nightstand, grabbing Adora’s from where the blonde had set it down by her place on the bed. She needed to do  _ something _ and cleaning was a natural balm to her anxiety. They really should go in the sink; she could wash them real quick, maybe do another quick wipe down of the entire apartment, several times over. Shouldn’t take more than two or three hours, tops. But instead Catra stayed rooted to the spot, speaking very slowly. She couldn’t seem to look in her friend’s direction as she fiddled with the fringe of the blanket that had been draped over their shoulders as they watched. “Yeah, ‘Dor. Like us.” 

Adora crept out a little more, mind almost wiped blank from the staggering amount of cortisol currently rushing through her bloodstream. She swallowed and screwed up the last dredges of her courage, ignoring the acidic taste of jelly in the back of her throat. “I think Huntara… saw some of her and her partner in us. And, um, that’s kind of interesting, don’t you think?”

Catra’s heart thundered in her chest, her brain felt swirly and over encumbered. Wherever Adora was taking them, it could very well be a point of no return. But she was  _ leading _ this so maybe…? “Interesting is one word for it.” She ran her hands through her short, messy hair, tugging a little to ground herself back into the moment. “It, uh, doesn’t bother you?”

The blonde’s whispered return was almost zero decibel. “... Not really. Does it bother you?”

“No. Not at all.” The reply was brittle, threatening to crumble if the next line in the conversation was anything less than a gossamer brush.

Instead there was measured silence and almost a shortage of air in the room. Fresh, clean oxygen wasn’t a utility they needed to pay for, right?

“Adora-...” The brunette began, at the same time as “Catra-...” sounded next to her. The pair shared a nervous giggle before Catra licked her lips. “What were you gonna say?”

Adora reached deep down inside herself to a reserve of grit she didn’t know she possessed. With her chin on her knees, she stared straight ahead, not even daring to blink lest she lose any amount of forward momentum. She allowed one shallow inhale, then spoke softly, impressed when her voice didn’t waver once. “I want that. What they have or at least what we think they have.”

“In general?” Catra swallowed, her throat thick with the burn of too many feelings colliding into her at once. “... or with  _ s-someone _ ?” She hated the squeaky way the final word of that question came out, not to mention how ambiguous it was. Duh, of course Adora wanted to be with someone, but what she meant to ask was...

“Not just someone… With you.” Any drive she had leading up to this point was instantly expelled in one go by that confession. She buried her face in hands, curling up in her tightest ball yet. There it was, out in the open. Her biggest secret was revealed for Catra’s perusal and consideration. Adora couldn’t believe that she’d reached this point, what, because of a stranger? A person that  _ maybe _ equated their own significant relationship with what she had with Catra? They didn’t even know for sure if Huntara was gay or not! They could just be friends; it was within the realm of possibility. But here Adora was going to risk her own friendship, her most important relationship, on the chance that maybe there was something romantic between her landlady  _ and a person in a picture? _ She couldn’t even speak at this point, only hope that Catra wouldn’t be too freaked out by her declaration and choose to let her down gently. It was going to be extra awkward sharing a bed now. 

“Fuck.” Catra exhaled, a dry chuckle doing little to ease the immense pressure in her chest. At the whimper to her right, she very gently tugged at Adora’s arms, trying to unfold the blonde from her hiding place. “Hey… Come out of there, ‘Dor. Please?”

Still covering her own head, Adora’s lower lip jutted out at the soft plea. Catra said please about as often as she said she was sorry. But she remained hunched, Catra’s touch on her arm bringing equal parts comfort and dread. It was just like the brunette to reel her in, to offer a hand down as she careened into the darkness of her own mind. That hand on her arm was a reminder to stay here in the present and not give in. Adora needed that hand because sometimes it was just so hard to reach up, to keep fighting. But when that was the case, Catra only stretched lower for her, making sure she was always just mere fingertips away. 

But also, what if this ended up being the last time she felt that touch? What if after all this Catra didn’t want to even like,  _ hug _ her? She would probably be so freaked out that Adora was in love with her that Catra wouldn’t want to risk any of that normal, friend stuff- like cuddling and holding hands and staying up late, whispering about whatever before falling asleep next to each other. It would all be to protect their friendship, to preserve what they’d built over so many years together, but it would also mean things would change. Adora would do anything to keep the core consistency in her life from splintering, even if she had to shatter and remold herself to whatever Catra needed her to be. She would do it, no questions asked. 

Catra gave up trying to coax the blonde from her den; sometimes Adora just needed a little time to adjust. And Jesus Christ, this was a doozie. In a tone far more direct than she really meant, probably because on the inside Catra was careening off a 500’ cliff that she’d more or less jumped off herself and panicking, yup, definitely panicking, she asked, “Are you saying you wanna be my girlfriend, Grayson?” No mincing words, no dancing around the subject. Catra faced her head on with eyes wide. Well, as much as she could face her since Adora was doing her best impression of a turtle right now. 

One blue eye peeked out, partially shaded by a wall of blonde strands.

  
  


“Good morning. You’re my girlfriend.”

Catra gave an approving hum as strong arms wrapped around her waist. She’d been trying to prepare breakfast for them, just french toast with fruit (leave it to Scorpia to gift them with a fruit basket to congratulate them on their move-in), while Adora caught a little extra sleep. The pair had been up absurdly late, shly trading memories of everytime they  _ knew _ their true feelings for the other, but all the silly reasons they had made up for why they’d never confessed them. Eventually Catra fell asleep with Adora firmly against her back, the blonde’s arms encompassing her fully.

It was the best feeling in the world. 

“Morning, yes, I am.” She smiled as Adora placed her head on her shoulder, peeking over at what was happening in the frying pan. “And you’re supposed to still be sleeping. How am I supposed to surprise you with breakfast in bed if you’re not in bed?”

Adora giggled and lay her head down so it rested against Catra’s cheek. “Why sleep when I could be spending time with my  _ girlfriend _ ?” She sighed contentedly, closing her eyes to soak in the feeling of saying that. Adora was certain she’d never get sick of calling Catra her girlfriend, no matter what.

“Goof. All right, at least go sit at the table, this is about done and I’ll be over in just a minute.” The blonde huffed a little at the idea of breaking contact, but with one more tight squeeze, settled herself at the small, round table. She watched as Catra plated their morning meal, amazed that she’d had the foresight to get a few groceries before move in. Just enough to tide them over and make sure they wouldn’t be DoorDashing the whole weekend. Smart, beautiful, considerate… Her girlfriend really was the whole package. Catra brought her out of her thoughts by placing a stack of thick, egg battered and coated in cinnamon, toast on the table. “I didn’t think to get syrup, but the fruit that Scorp gave us should bring some sweetness.”

“You’re the only sweetness around here I need.” Still seated, the blonde once again wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist, bringing the smaller woman in for a tight hug. 

Catra hummed at the words, allowing herself to be held snugly. With a lopsided grin she murmured, “Wow, you’re even cheesier than usual now. Just imagine once we actually start going out together. I think I’ll hurl on the first date.”

Adora giggled, releasing her grasp only long enough so she could look up at Catra’s beautiful face. Going on dates… Going on a date with Catra. Was this really happening, because it seemed like a dream. The best, most fantastic dream she’d ever had. “Well, you better bring a toothbrush along because I’m not kissing you at the end otherwise.” Adora’s heart stuttered as she said the words. It was a joke but also…  _ oh, holy crap they might kiss! _ That was a thing girlfriends did. Oh, my goodness. Yup. Wow. 

Catra’s mind was wiped clear at the blonde’s words. She was glad that Adora was in a sweatshirt, because where her hands rested on her shoulders, Catra’s palms were like waterfalls. Right. Kissing. That was a thing they would do now… The thought both thrilled and terrified her. It seemed impossible that someone in their early twenties would be fretting about their first kiss, but when you spend most of your life helplessly in love with the same person, you kind of postpone a few milestones along the way. Sure Catra had been attracted to other people before, crushes happened, but the draw towards Adora was always so inescapable that it never felt right to follow through on any of them. But now they were here, holding one another in their tiny ass dining room, and calling one another ‘girlfriend’. The current had pulled her to exactly where she needed to be. Clearing her throat and looking away to hide her embarrassment, Catra muttered, “We, uh, don’t  _ have _ to wait for a date to… y’know. Do that.”

Adora blinked once. Twice. Three times before offering weakly, “I h-haven’t brushed my teeth yet…” What in the world possessed her to say  _ that _ ? Sure, it was true, and her first kiss (well, at least with someone who mattered, a quick practice peck in sophomore year of high school didn’t  _ really _ count) should probably not include morning breath. But maybe she could have played it a  _ little _ smoother.

Fortunately, her girlfriend just chuckled and suggested that they eat before it got cold. Then they could get cleaned up and make a plan for the day. Adora felt a little like she’d ruined a moment, but Catra didn’t seem upset, just was talking about how she’d arrange their kitchen. “You’re not to move  _ anything _ once I decide that’s where it lives, okay? In fact, just like, stay out of that part of our apartment as much as possible. It’s not a place for you.”

The back of her mind was buzzing with their previous conversation, but Adora still found herself nodding emphatically. Nope, nope, kitchens and cooking were Catra’s deal, not hers. Sure, Adora wasn’t so incompetent that she’d starve if she lived on her own, but it sufficed to say that the blonde could get… creative in her culinary attempts. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Fortunately for her, Catra really enjoyed cooking and it was one of the reasons they had decided to live off campus this year. There was only so much one could do with a microwave in a dorm room. “Deal, you’ll only catch me in there for drinks and stuff. Speaking of, do we have anything…? I’m okay with water!”

“Oh, right, duh. I made coffee,” She chuckled at the wrinkled nose, “Yeah, figured that would be your answer. Water, of course, and some apple juice. It was on sale and I know you like it in your smoothies as a treat from time to time.” 

Catra started to rise from the table, but Adora jumped up, wanting to at least contribute something in light of all Catra had done for them. “Nope, you stay put. I’ll get it! You ready for some coffee, honey?” She said the last word tentatively, testing the waters to see how it would go over. It felt like ambrosia in her mouth- foreign, forbidden, but impossibly sweet. Catra didn’t comment on her usage so either she hadn’t noticed or maybe it was okay? Adora would try again later, keep feeling for the boundaries in this new facet of their relationship.

The tips of the brunette’s ears burned at the endearment, her tongue suddenly too large for her own mouth. Adora’s honey… This had to be a fever dream, because it was far too surreal. She nodded dumbly, using the side of her fork to cut a wedge of peach in half. Catra popped it into her mouth, barely tasting the sweetness as she chewed. Though the fruit was her favorite, ripe and perfect, it paled in comparison to what Adora was giving her. She wanted to savor that for as long as she could.

The blonde returned in short order with a mug for Catra and a tall glass of juice for herself. She nibbled on a peach wedge, contemplating. Catra was right, of course, they didn’t have to wait until a date. She was certain that they’d go out plenty, in fact Adora really couldn’t wait for the first time they walked towards their friends, hand in hand. What a shock that would be! She knew that Bow and Glimmer in particular would be over the moon happy for them once they revealed their new status. And maybe it would spark those two to figure out a few things as well... 

“Where’d you go, ‘Dor?” Catra asked over the edge of her mug. As soon as the blonde sat down, she seemed lost in the weeds of her mind. Catra had been trying to talk with her about what the rest of their day would look like, but it was abundantly clear Adora wasn’t present at the moment. She sipped at her coffee and waited for her to come back on her own, but honestly Catra missed her too much to continue to wait.

“Huh? Oh. Nowhere, just thinking there for a minute.” The blonde quickly popped another bite of toast in her mouth, giving an enthusiastic ‘Mmmm!’ of appreciation for her girlfriend’s culinary skills. It really was very tasty, even if she was much more interested in other things they might do with their mouths...

“Dangerous.” The brunette teased, draining the last of her coffee. “Don’t hurt yourself while I’m gone.” She rose to head to the restroom, chuckling at the confusion on Adora’s face. “Relax, I’ll be gone for two minutes. Bathroom.”

Upon returning, she plopped a small container down in front of Adora. “Figured since you hadn’t brushed your teeth yet, might need those. Don’t want you to get off schedule.”

Adora nodded, gratefully popping one of the small, white pills stamped with a 10 into her mouth and taking a long drink from her glass. That was the last thing she needed now that they seemed to have found something to help keep her more or less stable, with bi-weekly therapy doing most of the heavy lifting along the way. “Thank you so much. You’re so sweet to me.”

“Gotta say, I am loving these low expectations.” Catra rolled her eyes with a smile. Just imagine how Adora would react once she  _ really _ started in on all that gooey relationship stuff. She might need to go to Scorp for a few pointers… “You about finished with breakfast? We still have a lot to unpack, sure, but if you need more time…”

“Nope! All done and it was very, very good. Thank you.” 

Adora started to clear the table, Catra stepping in to help gather the dishes up. She didn’t want to risk the blonde breaking anything their first morning by trying to do too much in one go. Adora deposited the items into the sink and turned to leave, a soft ‘Ahem’ grabbing her attention in time to catch the dish towel that was thrown her way. “Now I know you weren’t about to leave me to do the cooking  _ and _ dishes, right?”

“Oh!” Adora had just been so focused on the idea of unpacking, she hadn’t really thought to complete the clean up at this time. It made sense though; the sink was the size of a thimble so even a few dishes would make the kitchen look incredibly untidy. Plus Catra couldn’t relax when there was a mess. Adora was a lot more at ease about things like that, but she certainly wasn’t going to put undue stress on her girlfriend over something like a few dirty plates. “No, of course not. Actually, if you want I can do them up while you go get started with unpacking?”

Catra considered for a moment. She was really anxious to get everything settled. But as she glanced at the sink, there really weren’t that many dishes to tackle and together they’d have them knocked out in no more than ten minutes. “Nah, won’t take long. I’ll wash, you dry.”

“Aye-aye, cap’n!” Hmm. Not quite the same feel as honey… It made Catra smile and fondly call her a dweeb, though. 

The pair chittered as they cleared the sink, nudging one another and were all giggles. Catra ended the chore by flicking some suds from the dishwand in the blonde’s direction, the bubbles landing on her cheek. As Adora moved to wipe them away with her shoulder, a hand still warm and slightly wet beat her to it, lingering against her after. The women stared at one another, suitably frozen by something yesterday that would have been entirely inconsequential. Before last night, Catra probably would have flicked the suds away and moved on or maybe even come at the blonde with more bubbles. Today though? 

As Catra’s hand rested against her face, fingertips just so impossibly soft, Adora leaned into the touch. She licked her lips, trying to summon the ability to speak from the depths of her muscle memory. She was pretty sure if she wanted to pursue the topic on her mind, the ability to talk and move a little would be necessary. She was finally able to sneak out a soft, “Catra?” 

“Yes, Adora?” The brunette’s molten gold and sky blue eyes widened at hearing her name, then somehow expanded even more upon realizing she was still touching her girlfriend’s face so tenderly. The hand did not move at the realization.

Adora inhaled deeply and on the exhale, squeaked, “Can I kiss you?”

“Thought you hadn’t brushed your teeth yet…” Catra gently jeered, mostly trying to distract herself from the cardiac episode happening in her own chest. Oh, fuck, was it going to happen? Now? Now her hand fell from Adora’s face, as she suddenly became way too aware of and way too detached from her own body. When the blonde had sidestepped the subject earlier, it had stung slightly, but Catra wasn’t going to let it get in the way of things. A lot had changed overnight, so if Adora needed time to adjust, that was fine by her. That being said, she’d be stupid to say anything other than, “Yes, you can…” 

Holding her breath, Adora stood tall, though her insides felt as coiled as a spring. She wanted this, Catra had given her permission so all she needed to do was… As she lowered her head down, tilting it slightly so they wouldn’t bash noses, Catra raised her chin ever so slightly. Adora uncoiled her arms from where they’d been locked at her sides, placing one hand on Catra’s elbow to pull her just a little closer. It really didn’t have the desired effect, but the brunette took a half step forward, all the distance needed to complete the brush.

It was a bare flicker of contact, but Adora went white at the touch. Catra’s lips were soft and warm against her own and they held for one, two seconds before breaking, resting their foreheads together and smiling like loons. Adora realized at that point that regular breathing was conducive to good health and shakily inhaled some oxygen. “Wow…”

“Don’t ruin it.” Catra warned, her forehead still slotted against Adora’s as she continued to grin. Her first kiss… and it was shared with Adora. Holy shit, life was good. “But also, hell yeah,  _ wow _ .”

They continued to stand with their foreheads touching, little fits of giggles escaping like steam from a teapot. Adora felt 8 feet tall, golden and glowing in the wake of finally kissing the girl of her dreams. Catra’s eyes were closed as she breathed shallowly, a curious half-smile dancing across her lips. Adora took in that smirk and felt her stomach clench, a new surge of adrenaline coursing through her system. Catra was just so beautiful and it was already so much in such a good way. She felt a buzzing pull, driving her back to those so inviting lips. Maybe by some miracle Catra was feeling the same?

“We could do that again…” The blonde hedged, shifting uncomfortably back and forth on her feet. She wanted to move her hand from Catra’s elbow but really had no idea where it should go. Maybe on her arms? Her shoulders? Her… waist? In movies and stuff, people were always wrapped around one another like pretzels. Adora had no problem holding Catra, but what if it was too much too soon? She already felt like an energized current was running through her body at that tiny peck. She wanted more, but had no idea what Catra’s boundaries would be. 

Catra responded by draping her arms around Adora’s neck, raising up on her tiptoes just slightly to be able to meet her girlfriend’s lips. “Don’t have to tell me twice.” Their mouths slid together tentatively as they held the pose for several more seconds, adjusting to the excitement and feel of one another. Catra pressed in a little more firmly, then began to move her jaw, Adora following suit after a half-second pause to come back to this plane. Thank god they hadn’t waited until a first date, because this was bliss. Pure unadulterated bliss.

They continued with this pace for a good long while. The blonde’s arms still hung lamely by her sides, so engrossed was she at the feel of Catra’s lips moving against her own, making her breath catch at every push and glide of their mouths, that her earlier conundrum of what to do with her hands was entirely forgotten. There was only Catra and kissing Catra; everything else around them had ceased to exist. However, the brunette had other ideas, as she removed one arm from around Adora’s neck to reach and guide so that Adora’s hand came to rest at her waist. Catra was immensely pleased when the blonde’s other hand came to settle on either side of her torso, with no further prompting or direction. Adora always was a quick study. At the feel of her girlfriend’s hands around her, Catra surged forward even more eagerly, a tiny moan escaping the back of her throat as she did.

Adora seized at the sound, but quickly met her girlfriend’s mouth with matching levels of enthusiasm. Her fingers involuntarily curled around Catra’s waist, pressing slightly and pulling the woman closer to her, as they moved their lips against one another. In her boldest move yet, one that truthfully wasn’t even a conscious decision and came from the heat of the moment, Catra parted her mouth open and let the tip of her tongue brush against Adora’s bottom lip. The blonde scrambled to also part hers with a sharp, shuddering inhale. Catra came alight at that sound, licking into the taste of apple juice and peach that came from her girlfriend’s mouth. Was it weird to taste someone else’s breakfast? She didn’t care in the slightest, too overwhelmed with how much Adora she was getting to experience at the moment.

Their breathing had become labored and unsteady, Adora’s hands now gripping at Catra’s hips, as Catra threaded her fingers into the back of the blonde’s head. Catra’s teeth grazed Adora’s bottom lip and Adora jerked back, eyes wide and panting hard. Catra stuttered at the broken kiss, dropping her hands from Adora instantly and protectively curling them over her chest. With her eyes trained away, utterly embarrassed at how abruptly the blonde had pulled from her, Catra said in a quaking voice, “I’m sorry. I s-shouldn’t have…”

“No!” Adora quickly wrapped Catra into a tight hug, pressing several kisses to the top of her head. “It felt good, really good. It just, um, surprised me?” She gave a nervous little chuckle, glad when she felt her girlfriend relax into the hug, pressing her face to hide in Adora’s shirt, breathing in the soothing scent that was just so unmistakably Adora. “ _ I’m _ sorry. I didn’t need to pull away like that. You just make me so jumpy…” Adora teased, trying to make sure her smile shone through her tone. It was the truth; it had felt amazing but it all had been building so quickly that Adora had been shocked by the gentle nibble. Mostly because of how  _ much _ she liked it...

After barely a moment’s pause, the blonde asked, “Can I kiss you again?”

Catra’s voice was muffled as she spoke into Adora’s chest. “You gonna ask me that everytime?” Despite the deflection, the brunette still turned her head so it was resting against Adora’s shoulder but could so easily be turned and angled upwards. She’d let herself get caught up in her baser desires on the second kiss. Adora was hot, but how pathetic was that? Catra would be sure to keep a better handle on herself, not risk screwing things up on their first day as a couple.

Tenderly, Adora lifted her girlfriend’s chin, looking down into her girlfriend’s stunning, heterochromatic eyes. She had long since memorized every hue that resided in them, every last fleck of color was imprinted on her brain after years of getting lost in them, though was firmly convinced Crayola didn’t make a color that came near to matching either one. Catra was just far too breathtaking to be so easily described. “Probably at first.” Adora admitted ruefully, shrugging slightly. She leaned down and caught Catra’s lips in a chaste, but lingering kiss. “... But not always.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't be trusted with anything I say in regards to story length. Enjoy part 2 of 3!

The remaining weeks before the semester started flashed by. Catra and Adora’s apartment came together quickly, the pair settling into what became normal routine. Breakfast together in the mornings, joint workouts in the afternoons, dinner and movies at night. Oh and kissing. Lots of kissing. It was a special kind of respite to get a chance to ease into this new side of things before their friends began to make their way back to campus after summer break and the tedium of classes would begin again. 

The Sunday before classes they met Glimmer and Bow for dinner. It was the first time Catra and Adora really had spent any length of time out in public, the pair quickly embracing the joy inherent in staying at home with your partner. But meeting up with friends was also exciting and probably a healthy life choice for them in the long run.

“Heeeyy, guys!” Bow called, bounding up to them and wrapping them both into a tight hug. Catra tolerated the affection only because Adora managed to keep her hand firmly laced in her own. “It is so great to see you! How’s the new place? I am  _ so _ sorry I wasn’t around to help you move- but man, do I have some amazing pictures to show you from the trip!”

Adora gave her best boy a side hug, instantly enveloped in a warmth she really hadn’t known she’d been missing so badly. Spending time with Catra was incredible, but man, was she glad they’d agreed to leave their love nest for the night. Bow’s smile alone was worth putting on real pants. “Hi, yes, so happy to see you too! The new place is great, maybe after dinner you two could stop by?” Her eyes flicked to her girlfriend for approval of that plan, Catra shrugging her acceptance. 

“Like we weren’t going to do that anyway!” Glimmer added herself to the hug, blushing slightly as she somehow got shuffled towards the middle, her head coming to rest on Bow’s chest. They parted soon after, making their way inside for a meal of fattoush, mint tea, and all the hummus and pita they could possibly want.

“I’ve got this one, babe.” Catra said, picking up the check from where it lay on the table. She ran a knuckle down Adora’s cheek, crooking a smile at her. The blonde had to bite her lip to hold back her unbridled joy. She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see what kind of reaction their affection had generated. Bow just munched on the last of his pitza, while Glimmer sipped her tea. Neither of their friends had made any comments about their new relationship, not that the pair had explicitly announced it. They had a bet going of how long it would take for them to notice. 

But it was killing Catra. Adora was  _ hers, _ finally, and she wanted the world to know it. They’d agreed to not do anything super obvious to tip anyone off, but rules were meant to be broken. Catra placed a kiss on her girlfriend’s temple, pausing there for just a half second past decent, then sauntered off towards the register to pay the bill, even going so far as to snatch up Sparkles and Arrow Boy’s as well. What could she say? She was in a good mood tonight. She loved the two morons her girlfriend called her best friends (other than her, of course, even before getting together it was no question where she fit in the list of Adora’s priorities), even if she’d die before admitting it out loud. Maybe Catra would add half a cheesecake to go for dessert back at the apartment.

Even after the brunette left the scene, basking in the myriad of thanks for her unexpected generosity, neither Bow nor Glimmer made any indication that they’d caught on to the change. The short-haired woman raised an eyebrow at the peck, but instead of commenting she confirmed, “Your apartment’s just over on Chestnut, right?”

Adora nodded, frowning slightly when even her girlfriend’s cheating hadn’t sparked the lightbulb moment. Were her friends even watching? Sure the rules said they couldn’t, like, makeout in front of anyone or use the ‘g’ word until someone else did, but it had to be pretty darn obvious. “Yeah, a less than ten minute walk. There are guest spots in the lot at the Woods though if you wanna drive over.” 

“Nah, it's such a nice night, we’re totally down for a walk! Glim and I can stay parked here.” Bow happily supplied. “I can’t wait to show you all the pictures from our trip. The Extraterrestrial Highway was amazing, I’m just bummed that the ‘museum’,” He chuckled at the word, “was closed so we couldn’t go get educated.”

“Ugh, and I need to tell you about what Aunt Casta and my mom got into about  _ this _ time. It was right in the middle of a public beach; I was so embarrassed! Those two I swear…”

“We passed by this super creepy clown hotel. Thank goodness we had the RV because of course all my brothers wanted to stay there… Both my dads put a stop to that one, though. I-...”

“Those two just get on my nerves so much. Here I am, trying to enjoy the beach and they’re just sniping at one another over  _ nothing _ ! It was utterly ridiculous behavior for two grown women and I-...”

“Catra’s my girlfriend!” Adora exclaimed, unable to hold it in any longer. She managed through dinner, Catra’s hand laced in her own under the table giving her the strength to do so. But as fascinating (and creepy, she definitely needed to hear more about this clown motel) as the stories from her friend’s summer break were, she just had to spill. So what if she had tanked their bet?

“Wow. Gone for a whole five minutes and you blab. You really have no chill, do you?” Catra made it back to the table right as Adora made the announcement. “And I love you for it.” The blonde blushed into the kiss on the lips her girlfriend gave her.

“Hooooow did you two not  _ lead _ with this?! It’s amazing! Congratulations!” Bow jumped from the table, engulfing a still standing Catra into a giant hug. The brunette sighed and awkwardly patted his back twice before shoving him away. Adora giggled as her exuberant friend bounced on his heels, unable to resist pulling her girlfriend back in for another side hug. “How did it happen? I need every detail. Area 51 can wait,  _ that’s _ the story I want to hear tonight!”

“Let go of me and maybe I’ll tell you! At the apartment. In private.” Catra grumbled, ducking out from underneath his arm.

“Ooooh ho ho! You and Adora already needing… privacy, huh?” Bow waggled his eyebrows with a cheesy grin. “Benefits of living with bae, I guess.”

Both women blushed into their shoes. Shut up Arrow Boy, not yet. Maybe hands had wandered a little and sure, their lips were plastered together at every opportunity. But bathing suit areas still were new, unexplored territory. There was no rush; Catra was confident that they’d get there on their own time. “On second thought, everyone but Bow is invited back for cheesecake.” She stalked off, leaving the group back at the table.

“Nope, he’s definitely coming over too. I like him. And he’s my ride.” Glimmer asserted, grabbing the tall man by the wrist and pulling him after their flustered friend. 

Adora smirked as she saw Glimmer’s hand slide down to rest lightly in Bow’s, neither one seeming to notice. Maybe it would have been funny to let them figure out that she and Catra were dating on their own, but who knows how long that would have taken given their own situation. Not that she really had any room to judge. 

Outside of the restaurant, Bow tackled her into a hug. “Can’t forget about you, bestie! Seriously, Adora, I’m so happy for you. I know how long you’ve wanted this.”

“Heh, yeah. Yeah. Thanks, Bow!” She reciprocated with a tight squeeze, her girlfriend watching with an amused glint to her eye. Of course Catra  _ knew _ how long Adora had been in love with her, just as long as Catra had spent with her own feelings, but damn if it didn’t make her girlfriend snigger every time to hear it.

Glimmer approached where the brunette was leaning against the outside of the restaurant, cackling at just how dreamy Adora found her, always. The short woman crossed her arms over her chest. “Finally got the balls, huh?”

Catra rolled her eyes, not dignifying that gross comment with a response. The pair stared one another down, arms crossed in perfect mirror images of one another. The tension was palpable... But broken instantly when Glimmer laughed and wrapped the brunette into a hug. All this affection was starting to get sickening, but that didn’t stop Catra from returning the embrace.

“Hurt her and I’ll kill you.” Glimmer whispered into Catra’s ear.

“How about you live by example? Maybe it’s time for you and Arrow Boy to figure your shit out too, hmm?” Catra parried back, snickering at how quickly Glimmer shoved her away, stomping over towards her girlfriend to likely give her a similar treatment.

Catra’s hunch was right, the much shorter girl clung on to her blonde best friend. The pest said in a much louder voice, “Hurt her and I’ll, I dunno, be somewhat miffed at you for an indeterminate period of time.” 

“Awww. You threatened to kill Catra if she hurt me, didn’t you? You two are so cute.”

“I am  _ not _ cute!” Echoed at the same time as Glimmer flounced, batting her eyelashes, “Yes, I know I’m  _ adorable _ .”

  
  


“... So, yeah. That’s about the long and the short of it. An elder gay projecting and a crappy chick flick made us stop being completely useless.” Adora finished explaining their romantic origin story, gathering up the plates they’d used to enjoy the decadent dessert. “It’s only been a few weeks and we’ve been so busy getting settled here that we’ve kept it to ourselves.”

“Really I can’t believe you two morons didn’t pick up on it. We weren’t exactly being subtle at dinner.” Catra lounged back into her recliner, thinking of the number of times she found some reason to touch Adora through the night. Tuck her hair behind her ear, feed her a bite of hummus spread across some pita… And picking up the check at the end? Pretty routine couple stuff in her opinion. Maybe it threw them off when she paid for their bills as well. 

“Well, can you really blame us? Not like a ton’s changed.” Glimmer rolled her eyes at the perplexed look both sapphics were giving her. “At least as an outsider looking in. I’m sure it’s just been just a  _ magical _ couple of weeks for you two, lots of discoveries that I pray that I never hear about.” 

“Pfft, I think you two were just oblivious.” 

“Oblivious, huh? Think it was that apparent? Bow, let’s run through the night together for these two.” Glimmer sat back on the couch, Bow’s arm draped along the back of it behind her. “Let’s see here… You two arrived together, holding hands…”

“Normal so far.” Bow stated, nodding emphatically.

“Right. It’s business as usual once we get to the table; Adora pulls out Catra’s chair for her, you sit on the same side of the table, spend the whole meal slowly gravitating towards one another until your arms are in constant contact with one another.” Adora kept her mouth shut that they’d spent the entire dinner with at least their pinkies linked under the table. 

“Remember when we were at that Hibachi place for Glim’s last birthday? The fact you caught all the shrimp the chef flipped towards your plate was super impressive… Even more so since  _ someone _ was sitting in your lap the whole time!” 

The brunette couldn’t help but grin at the memory. “Concentrate, Adora!” Catra mocked herself from that night, recalling how the blonde had managed to catch all six shrimp while she had perched herself in her lap, all because Catra was cold. They cranked the air conditioning in that place to make up for having the grills so close to the table…. That was Catra’s story and she was sticking to it.

“Exactly!” Bow laughed heartily, moving his arm down so it rested against Glimmer’s shoulder. Catra was certain the man had no idea he had done it, but Sparkles sure didn’t look like she was ready to complain. “So, back to tonight. Where were we? Ah, right. You order your meals getting-,” He began to tick off the items, holding up a finger for each one, “A flavor savor combo to split, one bowl of lentil soup to split, an order of baba ganoush with extra pita, hot sauce on the side to split… Honestly it’s a wonder you two didn’t drink from the same glass!”

“Catra doesn’t really care for the mint tea.” Adora supplied absently from the kitchen, rinsing their dishes in the sink. She’d do them up before bed, but really didn’t want to be rude to their guests by washing them now. Hopefully Catra would understand the delay.

“Tell me honestly, how cheap are your grocery runs? Since you split everything.” Glimmer flashed a grin, leaning so her head rested back on the arm behind her. “Must be so nice to be that gay… Really, you two, we could keep going but I think you get it. You’re both madly in love and always have been. It’s cute. And disgusting.”

Adora returned from her cleanup, settling down onto the chair, squarely in Catra’s lap. She kissed her girlfriend’s cheek before laying back to rest against her chest. Catra found that she really couldn’t argue or protest.

They  _ were _ cute.

After their friends had left their apartment for the night, with promises that they’d grab lunch together on the first day of classes, Adora gratefully locked the door behind them. It had been a wonderful evening, full of laughter and stories and just this sense of… comfort and familiarity that could only exist between pals, but she’d grown used to having her evenings be Catra-only time. And her mornings. And her afternoons. Frick, it was going to be difficult to go back to real life after the bliss of break.

She settled back into her spot, laying down so her head rested against Catra’s chest, her girlfriend’s arms more than happy to welcome her into the cuddle. Adora breathed out, letting the spicy musk of her love’s cologne fill her senses, the warm press of their bodies soothing her, before giggling softly. “So, I lost.”

“Ehh, we were betting on the time it’d take for them to figure it out on their own. But yeah. Blurting it out at the first opportunity does mean you lose. Had a feeling you wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret.” The brunette teased, placing a kiss on Adora’s head, nearly swooning at the flowery scent of her shampoo. She wanted to bury her face in those golden strands and just live there. Okay, maybe she did every night before bed, but that was neither here nor there.

“I don’t want you to be a secret. I want everyone to know you’re my girlfriend.” Adora said earnestly, rising up to look Catra in the eyes. “I love you, Cat.”

“I love you too, dork.” Catra was a little taken aback by the sudden tone change, but she met her girlfriend with the same amount of seriousness as she returned her affections. “And way to make a joke super serious.”

“I just wanna make sure you know that I wouldn’t ever want to hide you from anyone.” The blonde lay her head back down, somehow moving molecules around to snuggle in even closer. 

“Yeah… yeah. Me either.” Catra held Adora in her arms, rocking them gently in the recliner. “I’m glad you told them, babe. Even if it would have been funny to see them struggle to figure it out. What was your guess- within a half an hour? Looks like you were losing either way.”

Adora made a hmph noise, “The one time I needed them to be nosy, they disappointed me.”

“Awww, poor baby. Guess I get to think up a prize, hmmm?” She carded her hand down Adora’s arm, until just two fingers were brushing against her. Catra spoke softly, her voice a half step lower than normal. “Whatever… I… want…”

Adora shivered in spite of the heat that was curling low in her stomach. Not a new feeling these past weeks, not by any stretch, but something in Catra’s tone gave her extra pause. She shifted, deliberating on the best way to follow up on that most intriguing inflection. She finally settled on,“You ready to go to bed?”

The question prompted a devilish smirk. 

After a decidedly lengthy amount of time most definitely not spent trying to fall asleep, Adora gently broke away from their kiss, only dipping back down for about three more pecks before she was able to fully detach herself. She wasn’t going far, things were just really heating up and she needed a minute to recoup. “So, have you thought about your prize for winning our bet?”

The brunette shrugged, ignoring the tap dance routine in her chest. She had an idea, but wasn’t sure how her girlfriend would react. Only one way to find out, really… “I have something in mind, but I need you to know that you can absolutely say no and I won’t be mad.”

“Okay…” Adora peered down at her girlfriend hesitantly. “It’s nothing embarrassing, right?”

“Ummm. No?” Catra squirmed. It wasn’t like making Adora dress up in a frilly princess costume or pulling out any of the blackmail photos she had of the blonde’s time as a horse girl to pass around campus. But there was some… newness that might stem a level of uncertainty at first. They’d taken to kissing really quickly, more than once Adora’s mouth had trailed down her neck and to her ears, but what Catra had in mind was a bit more definitive. She screwed up her courage, reminding herself that it was them, and they’d be okay no matter what. “I think it might be better if I just show you what I was thinking. Remember, you can say no at any time.”

Adora nodded a little weakly as Catra’s head raised from the pillow, their lips meeting again. It did not take long for the pair to fall back into a heated rhythm, their mouths moving together and tongues brushing. Break time was over, which suited Adora just fine. 

Catra took Adora’s hand and guided it under her shirt, pausing to judge reaction as it just hovered over her stomach. “Is this okay?” She breathed out, unsteady. Even just having Adora’s hand beneath the fabric of her top for the first time made her dizzy. 

The blonde’s mouth was parted into a perfect O shape, eyes wide. She made no move to stop what was happening, just nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Catra continued to draw the blonde’s hand up. The soft cotton of her bra was so warm in Adora’s hand. 

Their bet and the subsequent prize opened up a whole new avenue of future exploration for them in the weeks that followed. They ventured forward carefully, always asking for permission before hands got too wandering. But as the path became more familiar, so did their touches. If Catra thought falling asleep in Adora’s arms was the best feeling in the world, holding her topless girlfriend must be of heavenly origin. 

“Mmmm… That feels so good, Cat.” Adora sighed, laying on her side as Catra’s hands massaged her back. Even through the tank top she liked to sleep in, Catra’s touch warmed her in ways she could barely comprehend. “How are you so good with your hands?” 

The brunette gave a throaty chuckle as she leaned down towards the shell of her girlfriend’s ear, biting lightly. Adora moaned at the graze, shifting at the overload of sensations happening through her body. Catra’s hands on her, massaging the last remaining dregs of tension from her body. Catra’s hot breath in her ear, the tiny nip of teeth that made her toes curl. The lingering sensation of Catra’s body pressed against her, kissing her fervently. Everything was just Catra, just so incredibly  _ Catra _ . 

“You think that’s good, love? Just wait until I make you come.” A mischievous rasp promised, with a silken undertone. It was far, far braver than Catra had ever dared to be but with the feel of Adora under her hands, minutes after an intense and lengthy makeout session, suffice to say Catra was feeling rather emboldened. They’d been dating for a few months now, completely settled into their lives together as a couple. She wasn’t pressuring the love of her life, but it seemed like the time to bring up the subject. Maybe not the most subtle way to broach the topic, but wasn’t confidence super sexy?

“Oh, will you now? You think that’s gonna be a thing, huh?” Adora murmured in reply, heart hammering as she lay on her side, stuck in a weird state of lassitude, excitement, and anxiety. She wasn’t ready to surrender to said anxiety quite yet, so instead Adora tried for goading snark, a dismissive brushoff she was sure wouldn’t be ignored, but lighthearted enough that she could focus on the real issue at hand- coping with exactly how that sharp smirk from the woman she’d been in love with for basically ever made her feel as her hands moved down Adora’s back. (A little helpless but like in a good way? Sort of entirely tense but also a little melty? Was floppy an option on the emotions chart? Adora really didn’t do words. Catra made her Feel Things, that was the point.) 

She couldn’t deny that the subject hadn’t crossed her mind once or twice (or about 5 times a day, if she were to be honest with herself for a moment) but she still needed to stall with a stab at humor, toss out an obnoxiously obvious question... Because duh. Of course it was a thing. Come jokes (or was it cum? She never could get a straight answer even from the not-so-straight people around her that claimed to be  _ experts _ on the subject) were everywhere. Whole movies were written about chasing the all mighty O, scintillating stories lurked awash with detail of just how many times one character could bring the other over (she found the answer was a lot, almost a frightening number of times), and not even music was safe. Some of her favorite lines were all just secretly imagery about those happy, happy times. Adora knew without a doubt that orgasms were very much a real thing.

Just, y’know, for other people. 

Instead of achieving dry, disparaging commentary that would be certain to drive her girlfriend crazy, Adora’s voice quivered a little, and she had to clear her throat to cover the momentary lapse in strength. “Can’t wait!” 

Catra’s brow furrowed. Okay, more or less the  _ words _ she’d been hoping for, but the tone was super off... When her touches stopped for long enough, Adora rolled over, nervous as to what she’d find but ready to put her best face on and hopefully make it through this without too much damage. Sure enough, Catra was sitting up on the bed, peering at her quizzically. “You’re giving me the weird smile. Why am I getting your seasick, the floor is switching places with the ceiling, smile?” 

“I’m not!” Adora asserted, flipping back onto her side to hide. Catra knew she couldn’t lie to save her life.

“Adora…” The brunette frowned, a tinge of anxiety settling in her chest, needling at her. Confidence might be super sexy, but it should be paired with finesse. She should have eased into the topic, not just blurted out the ending. Ugh. Fuck. “I shouldn’t have said that the way I did. That’s not the way to bring up… that kind of stuff to your girlfriend for the first time. I’m sorry. It was a dumb thing to do.”

“No! No, trust me. It’s, uh, been on my mind. Definitely. Recently.” Catra perked up at that, stomach jolting. Adora curled into a crescent shape, but continued to speak. She couldn’t live with herself if Catra thought for even a minute that she wasn’t sinfully desirable. “I  _ really _ like kissing you and doing...other...stuff?” The blonde stammered out, cheeks flaming. She grabbed a pillow to hug it to herself. Or bury her face in if things got too embarrassing.

“Trust me, I know how much you like when I bite your-...”

“Ahhahah, yeah, yup! Sure do!” Adora cut her girlfriend off before she could finish that sentence. She kneaded her hands into her pillowy comfort, worrying at her lip. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have sex with Catra, no, she wanted that very much. The things that woman could do just to her neck, ears, and chest was…  _ Ooof _ . But how would Catra react when she found out just how new  _ everything _ along these lines was to her? 

She must have been quiet for far too long. Catra cleared her throat before speaking slowly. “So there’s no misunderstanding… I  _ really _ like kissing you and doing other stuff too.” The tips of her ears turned red hot. “And maybe I broached this all in a really dumb way but I sort of want to see how you feel about maybe exploring more of that “other stuff” that we both like so much? Just uh, think it over, I guess, get back to me whenever. Or you know, you don’t have to, it’s totally cool. I love what we have right now, and... yeah.” Maybe Catra needed to spend a little less time at home because she was starting to sound an awful lot like Adora. 

Oh, frick. Catra was rambling. That was Adora’s role in their relationship and definitely couldn’t be a good sign. She sat up quickly, drawing her girlfriend into her arms, placing a featherline peck along her eyebrow and just breathing (as steadily as she could) for a few moments. Sensing that at least some of Catra’s uncertainty had faded, she spoke, though the words took a while to find their way out. “... It’s not that I don’t want to. I do, Cat, really. I love you and god, the way you make me feel is just… Wowza.”

Catra relaxed into her touch, equal parts entirely smitten by and cringing from that particular exclamation. Only Adora could hope to get away with that. She mumbled out, “Love you too.” 

The corner of Adora’s mouth twitched. They’d gotten to this point together by being open and honest, through sharing with one another even when it was scary. Catra deserved to know what was going on inside her head, particularly since this could have some serious ripple effects on their relationship. Adora took a deep breath in, searching for the best way to say what was at the forefront of her mind. “I want it, I swear. It’s just um. Well. I’m a little scared because I’ve never…” She briefly let go of her cling on Catra to make a rolling motion with her hand, eyebrows raised high, “before.” Nailed it. Totally clear meaning. 

Seeing the motion out of the corner of her eye, Catra watched as her girlfriend continued to make circles in the air with her hand. O...kay. Just when she thought she was fluent in Adora, the blonde made up a new dialect. But, really, there could only be one meaning behind this. “Still holding on to your V-card? Oh, well, I’m  _ so _ shocked to hear that, considering I’m the only person you’ve dated.” She gave a highly relieved laugh, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek.  _ Duh _ , babe. Catra was in the same exact boat; leave it to Adora to think it was some sort of personality flaw.

“No! I mean, yes. I am, but I mean I’ve  _ never _ …” Adora repeated the motion with greater emphasis, praying Catra would get it this time around. It was an embarrassing enough fact to live with, she certainly wasn’t keen on verbalizing (she would if the  _ big _ exaggerated circles weren’t clear- though how they wouldn’t be, she really didn’t know). It wasn’t for lack of trying on the blonde’s part, though now that their living situation and relationship had changed, she hadn’t given it the good ol’ college try in a number of months. Truthfully, she never really bothered all that regularly, usually able to ignore any of those kinds of feelings until they just went away. Adora just figured she was the type that needed a partner, but now that she had one, how would that partner react to the news? Seeing that Catra’s brow was still furrowed in confusion, Adora hiked up her big girl shorts and figured if she was mature enough to discuss having sex with her her girlfriend, she could find a way to admit that she’d never orgasmed before. “... Finished?” Eh, good enough.

“You’ve never come? Ever? Huh.” The brunette nodded once, absorbing. It wasn’t totally out there or completely shocking, but also with how Adora liked to paw at her at every chance they got (Catra certainly wasn’t complaining), she was equally impressed with her girlfriend’s sense of control. A few well placed kisses could lead to a few extra minutes in the shower for Catra to be able to function in polite society. She also had to be missing something here because Adora was just watching her with wide-eyes, looking like she was just waiting for Catra to assemble a mob and chase her out of town. She placed her arms on either of the blonde’s corded shoulders, slowly massaging the tension out of them. All her hard work to relax this woman from earlier, gone. “Okay. Not quite seeing what’s got you so nervous.”

“You don’t think that’s weird?” Adora bit her lip, finally breaking eye contact. It  _ felt _ weird. But also, maybe she had and just didn’t know? It’s not like this stuff came with an instruction manual, a demonstration of what the end result should look like. Or, she guessed in this case, felt like. 

“Depends- do you think it’s weird that I have? Many, many times over?” Catra joked, smirking at the rosy cast spilling over her girlfriend’s cheeks. “All by my lonesome, of course, but if I haven’t scared you off completely, maybe that’ll change too.” She tried to keep the quiver out of her voice; okay, yeah, they were having a sex talk but like… Catra couldn’t just  _ assume _ Adora would want to do that to her. Maybe she wanted a shred of reassurance that it might happen, even if she was totally cool with however long it took. The blonde coughed, her flush blossoming into a bright red blush as she nodded her agreement to wanting to see that change someday. Catra relaxed into a lopsided, downright impish grin. “It’s not weird, babe. Simply brings us back to my original statement… Just wait until I make it happen for you.”

The blonde smiled into the reassuring kiss her girlfriend placed on her lips, letting Catra’s unwavering confidence sweep away the anxious cob webs that hung in her mind. 

Their conversation didn’t lead into anything definite, really, they just carried on with their lives as they had been. Maybe Catra’s hands had started to rest on Adora’s thighs a little more often, maybe Adora’s thumbs circled her girlfriend’s sharp hip bones for longer periods of time before moving upwards to tease and play with her chest. But they didn’t sit down and plan out a time to make the trek down south. Winging it had been working just fine for them, so why fix what ain’t broke? And from how hot and heavy just  _ kissing _ could be, absolutely nothing was broken for either one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... It is far too appropriate that as I post this Salt-N-Pepa's Let's Talk About Sex is playing.
> 
> 🎵Let's talk about sex, baby  
> Let's talk about you and me  
> Let's talk about all the good things  
> And the bad things that may be  
> Let's talk about sex...🎵
> 
> Until next time, folks!

**Author's Note:**

> How'd ya like that set up? They're so sweet, aren't they? Just so *cute*!
> 
> Aiming for a two-parter here; I've got 14 more pages of this written, most everything worked out. It proooooobably could have stayed a mega-sized one shot, but what can I say? 
> 
> I'm completely and totally, without question, impatient. <3
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the candy! Until next time!


End file.
